Darren Elkins at UFC Fight Night 133 – Jul. 14, 2018
Volkanovski extended his remarkable winning run to 15 in a row when he took on the ludicrously durable Darren Elkins in Boise, Idaho in a fight that proved the Aussie was ready for top-drawer opposition.
Elkins had made his name as a fighter who could soak up an inhuman amount of punishment, only to then battle through and prevail. But there was no route to victory against Volkanovski, who hurt Elkins on multiple occasions and kept the pressure on to score a unanimous decision victory over one of the hardiest campaigners in the featherweight division.
It wasn’t one-way traffic, mind you. Elkins dished out plenty of offense during a punishing encounter. But Volkanovski was the stronger, more powerful, more accurate man in the cage that night, as he appeared to have the edge over the UFC veteran in all aspects as he battled his way to victory on the scorecards, with scores of 30-27, 29-28, 29-28.
Volkanovski’s win snapped Elkins’ six-fight win streak and extended his own incredible run to 15 straight wins. More importantly, it showed the Aussie had the sort of gritty fighting spirit needed to bite down on his mouthpiece and fight through a real war. Volkanovski was ready for big-name opposition, and he was given exactly that in his next assignment.
Watch Alexander Volkanovski vs. Darren Elkins on UFC Fight Pass
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Next up: A breakout performance